Collapsible tank and stabilizer means



May 19, 1953 F. E. SMITH ETAL COLLAPSIBLE TANK AND STABILIZER MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 iled Dec. 18, 19 50 Ina J 3 6 fliipwaey F. E. sMlfi-l ETAL COLLAPSIBLE TANK AND STABILIZER MEANS May 19, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 18, 1950 Patented May 19, 1953 t est crates? GOLLKPSIBLET'ANKSTABILIZEHEJ MEANS Franklin E: $inith, stunt Dartmouth, and." I Nathan'H. Friedman, NdrtifDiglfton, Mass:

Application December 18, 1950; Serial N02 20'L4l2 v I Claim; (Cl. 150-05) operations and similar purposes-l3 I-irtheceurse of transportingthe filled-tank either by hand or m vel'iicis 'empioyed for-sinnl'ai urposes, itis -found that lateral displacementef flli id'held in -the tank mayraiseproblems making the handling. of the'filled tanks more difilcult than would otherwise be the case. The presentinvention is concerned with the problem l'i'idicate'd and seeks to providean improved" collapsible tank structure in which there is included means for resisting or retarding change in position of fluid bodies contained in the tank. It is further an object of the invention to devise a simple and efficient stabilizing means which can be incorporated directly in the tank structure as an integral part of it and to so arrange and support the stabilizer means that it does not interfere with the utility of the tank member as a collapsible container body.

These and other objects and novel features will be more fully understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is "a plan cross-sectional view of the stabilizer equipped tank of the invention, the section being taken on the line l-I of Fig. 2 to particularly illustrate the handles or carrying straps for the tank structure;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section taken approximately along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, with parts of the corner seam sections left out to indicate generally the two stabilizer elements and with the tank side walls further indicated in section in order to more clearly indicate the points of joinder of the edges of the stabilizer elements with the tank fabric along the corner seams;

Fig. 3 is another plan cross-section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 to further indicate the diagonal arrangement of the stabilizer elements illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail elevational view of one of the stabilizer members removed from the tank.

In the structure shown in the drawings, numerals l0, l2, l4, and I6 denote four side wall portions preferably comprised of a fabric material, such as canvas or the like, and which has been waterproofed in the" manner". well known tothe: art to provide a. water-resistant. character of. the. necessary degree. These. sidewall pot-'- tions are secured- .together attheir adj acent-edges to form. seams [S -which, an. erect. position-- of the-tank,- extendsdiagonally upward aswill be apparent :from. an inspection .of': Fig. Tops and bottom sections- 20 and: 22 close. the openings at the upper andlower sides of the tank. structure and-the :lowenends oftheside portions are securedstheretoby' stitchingr to provide -flat bottom seams 24'.- Communicatingwith the interior of the tank structure through the top. section ZB-isa tubularmember 26 through which .fiuids may; be. led intothe. tankand removed-,. as. desired. Numerals 28 and 30 denote handles or straps utilized in lifting the tank when in a filled state.

In accordance with the invention the interior of the tank structure is provided with two novel stabilizer means secured between opposed seams it in spaced-apart relation, one above the other. In a preferred form the stabilizers comprise flexible sheet elements which extend or hang downwardly of the tank when the latter member is filled with a fluid body to oppose and resist changes in position and especially lateral displacement of the fluid during such times as the filled tank is in transit.

Thus, numeral 32 indicates one such sheet element in an uppermost position which element may conveniently be formed of the same fabric material as the side wall portions of the tank. As will be observed, the stabilizer 32 is secured along its two opposite side edges to opposed portions of the side walls and preferably this is achieved by cutting the stabilizer 3'2 in the form shown in Fig. 4 so as to provide parallel top and bottom edges 32a and 32b and angularly extending side edges 32c and 32d, the latter being of a shape chosen to coincide with the angularity of the seams [8 so that these side edges 32c and 32d may be stitched directly into the seams l 8.

With a stabilizer construction as above described it is pointed out that the same outwardly directed force which acts to keep the side walls held apart from one another when the tank is filled with fluid also act to maintain the stabilizer in a substantially rigidly stretched position. When thus rigidly extended the stabilizer can and does offer a material resistance to inertial forces seeking to create a lateral displacement of the fluid as a result of the tank being moved about.

It will be seen that with a single stabilizer element, such as the member 32, greatest resistance to sway forces will be realized with respect to those force components which are acting substantially at right angles to the vertical plane in which the stabilizer 32 lies. In order to deal equally as well with force components acting in a direction parallel with the stabilizer 32, or substantially so, there may be provided a second sheet member 34 which is disposed below element 32 to extend in a vertical plane running at right angles to the plane of said sheet member 32 and which may conveniently be secured in the manner already described between scams [8 which furnish the desired arrangement, as suggested in Fig. 2. Similarly, other stabilizer elements may be provided at any desired angle of intersection with one another to provide a greater or lesser amount of resistance, as desired.

It will be seen that the stabilizer means of the invention, therefore, serves a highly useful purpose in increasing the efliciency of portable or collapsible type fabric tanks, and the difiiculties heretofore experienced in handling such containers in a filled state is greatly reduced.

While we have shown preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that some change and modification may be practiced within the limits of the claims appended hereto.

We claim:

An improved collapsible tank structure comprising four side wall portions which correspond 'in shape to the sides of a truncated pyramid, ad-

jacent edges of said side wall portions being secured, one to another, to form seams which provide four separated corners for the tank struc Number ture, top and bottom tank sections secured to the side wall portions, said side wall portions, when containing a fluid body, being adapted to occur in an inclined position, a fluid conduit member located in the said top section, a stabilizer sheet located at the top part of the tank structure, two opposite edges of said stabilizer sheet being secured internally of the tank structure along two opposite corners thereof in a position to resist laterally directed inertial forces of a fluid in the tank acting in one direction, and a second stabilizer sheet located cross-wise below the said first stabilizer sheet at the bottom part of the tank structure, two opposite edges o f the said second sheet being secured internally along two opposite remaining corners of the tank structure in a position to cooperate with the first stabilizer sheet and resist laterally directed inertial forces of the fluid in the tank acting substantially at right angles to the plane of the said first sheet material.

' FRANKLIN E, SMITH.

NATHAN -H. FRIEDMAN."

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 2,369,921 Shakesby Feb. 20, 1945 2,406,903 Rethorst Sept. 3, 1946 2,485,028 Bauernfreund et a1. Oct. 18, 1949 2,500,341 Burnett Mar. 14, 1950 2,507,939 Smith May 16, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 561,819 Great Britain June 6, 1944 

